1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an information distribution system for distributing information between transmitters and receivers, to a service-providing method for an information distribution system, and to a program for the same.
2. Related Art
When information is distributed to a plurality of devices (receivers) such as printers, displays, and card readers that are connected to a computer, an application program (a transmitter, referred to below as simply “application”) is installed on the computer and commands are output from the application. In order to cause the plural types of devices to execute a single coordinated process, the application must be written to include processes specific to each device, such as a process instructing a first device to execute an operation and return event information, and another process then instructing a second device to execute an operation and return event information, and writing the application is thus time-consuming.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-2000-242594 therefore teaches a system that inserts a management module between the application and the plural devices. The application sends a device name and process content (process identifier) to the management module, and the management module writes the received content to a table and causes the devices to execute a coordinated process. Because this configuration eliminates the need to write the process content for executing the coordinated process in the application, writing the application is easier. Another advantage is that application changes can be kept to a minimum when the number of devices changes.
When it is necessary to change the format, layout, or print content to be printed by the printer with the system taught in JP-A-2000-242594, however, the application must be changed. When a device is replaced with a different model, the control information (commands) that must be sent also changes and the application must therefore also be changed. The system taught in JP-A-2000-242594 is thus not configured so that changes in process content or differences in device models can be absorbed by the management module.
It is also conceivable that this system may broadcast the same data to a first device and to a second device. However, if the first device and second device are different types of devices, both devices cannot be caused to operate normally when the same data is sent to both. The system may also conditionally broadcast the distributed data so that, for example, the data is sent to the first device when some condition is met and is sent to the second device if the condition is not met, but this system is unable to define the conditions.